1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a composite battery capable of adjusting its own power output in response to predetermined signals or lack of predetermined signals.
2. Background of the Invention
Many electronic devices require batteries for power such as radios, compact disc players, cameras, cellular phones, electronic games, toys, pagers and computers devices. Generally these electronic devices require a manually operated on/off switch. Manually powering an electronic device can be cumbersome, inconvenient and even forgotten. For instance, a common scenario arises with young children. After enjoying a battery powered toy they forget to manually turn it off. A charge is continually drawn from the battery until all of its stored power has dissipated. The exhausted primary battery is no longer useable and must be thrown-away. A further problem arises when a motion-sensitive toy that is not manually turned off is triggered by movement after a child is asleep, disturbing the child.
A need exists for a mechanism to turn on and off electronic devices without manual switching. At present, this functionality is achieved by configuring an electronic device with a timer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,035 issued to Van Zant describes a toy containing a night-light. If the child falls asleep without turning off the light, a timer inside the toy automatically deactivates the light after a predetermined time period. Another battery powered device that does not require an off switch is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,194 issued to Kastendieck et al. Kastendieck et al. describe a circuit for automatically removing battery power from night vision goggles. When the goggles are attached to a headgear, a circuit is completed to provide power to the goggles. Upon detachment from the headgear, the circuit is disrupted and prevents continued electrical draw from the battery. This mechanism eliminates the necessity of turning off the device after use and thereby preserves battery life. However, the goggle/headgear device must be specially configured to automatically “turn-off” upon disassembly.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a composite battery with a built-in power control system useable in any electronic device. The composite battery would eliminate the need for the electrical device to be specially configured with a power control means. It would also be advantageous to provide a composite battery in the shape of a conventional battery thereby further eliminating the need to alter existing electronic devices while providing them with an automated powering system.